Outline Strategies

Better WritingStarting Today

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“Why do we have to do this?”

• Students avoid outlining because they think:– It’s confusing.– It’s an extra step.– It’s not useful.– It’s too much work.

“Because…”

• Outlining provides structure.• Outlining limits “writer’s block.”• Outlining limits the need to formulate ideas during

essay writing.• Outlining allows students to see the “big picture.”• Outlining serves as a writing map.• Outlining develops organization skills.• Outlining requires parallelism.

What the Experts Say

• “Outlining will help you […] to figure out how each section of the paper relates to the others” (MLA Handbook 41).

• “Developing an outline can help you to see the logical progression of your argument” (MLA Handbook 41).

More Experts…

• “Create an outline when you want to show the hierarchical relationship or logical ordering of information” (Purdue Online Writing Lab).

• “Remember: creating an outline before writing your paper will make organizing your thoughts a lot easier” (Purdue Online Writing Lab).

• “With an outline, you move from a random listing of items as they occurred to you to a deliberate map that will guide readers from point to point” (Lannon 44).

What Can Teachers Do?

• Dedicate time specifically to outlining.• Spend time one-on-one with students as

they outline. This gives students feedback about their ideas before they write.

• Provide examples.• Provide clarity.

“Students need frameworks to think within. They can’t just think. Especially if you want it to be critical thinking.”

– Richard Cash Education Consultant

Basic Outline Worksheet

Outline Worksheets for Narration

• Outlining for narration provides:– Plot development and coherence– Character identity– Conflict clarity

Short Story Outline Worksheet

Narrative Peer Reviewsarahahenderson.weebly.com

Outline Worksheets for Compare and Contrast

• Outlining for comparing and contrasting provides:– Strategy– Organization – Coherence– Thesis clarity for persuasion

Compare and Contrast Outline

Compare/Contrast Peer Review

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Outline Worksheets for Research

• Outlining for research writing provides:– Improved paragraph structure and

connections– A map to follow– Strategy– Organization – Coherence– Thesis clarity

Group Research Worksheet

Individual Research Outline(1)

Individual Research Outline(2)

“Whoever is doing the reading, writing and talking is the one who is getting smarter.”

- Cris Tovani - Bennett Literacy Lab

Outline Worksheets for Analysis and Persuasion

• Outlining for analytical essays provides:– A map to follow– Convincing, coherent examples– Structure– Thesis clarity– Line(s) of argument

Literary Analysis Outline

Literary Analysis Peer Review

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Film Analysis Outline Worksheet

Poetry Explication Outline

Pieter Brueghel the Elder, The Kermesse (1567-68)

Student Responses to Outline Worksheets

• “You brainstorm and develop your paper at the same time.”• “I felt like I saw the big picture.”• “It’s really easy to write the essay when the outline is

completed.”• “It provides a starting point for essays.”• “It helps with your structure.”• “It FORCES you to organize.”• “It relieves pressure during the actual writing.”• “You can pause during your writing because you aren’t going to

lose your train of thought.”• “It lets you improve your writing as you write.”

Other writing assignments that could

benefit from an outline worksheet?

Works CitedLannon, John M. The Writing Process. 10th Ed., HarperCollins;

2008. Print.Ledbetter, Mary Ellen. Ready-to-Use English Workshop

Activities for Grades 6-12: 180 Daily Lessons Integrating Literature, Writing & Grammar Skills. Jossey-Bass; San Francisco, 2005. Print.

“Outlining.” MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 7th Ed., The Modern Language Association of America; New York, 2009. Print.

“Why and How to Create a Useful Outline.” Purdue Online Writing Lab, Purdue University, 2012. Web. 30 July 2012.